The Earth straddling the limb of the Moon, as seen from above Compton crater.Credit: NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University

Carnegie Mellon University’s CREATE Lab has established an EarthTime website. It enables users to interact with visualizations of the Earth’s transformation over time.

Combining huge data sets with images captured by NASA satellites between 1984 and 2016, EarthTime brings to life patterns of natural change and human impact.

Rapid urbanization

For example, city growth can be studied with land imagery and lights visible from space at night. An EarthTime user can compare how cities across the world accommodate for rapid urbanization by growing both outward and upward.

Users of EarthTime can view compelling animations accompanied by fact-based narratives from international experts.

Drawing upon EarthTime’s vast data library, the stories are curated in honor of Earth Day 2018. Explore stories to learn more about our collective impact on the planet.

“EarthTime is a means to tell stories. The impact of humanity can be seen globally and in individual communities. You really can’t understand climate change, migration or major social and political trends without examining their connections across time, across space and between each other. EarthTime enables you to do that,” explains Illah Nourbakhsh, Director – CREATE Lab.